In a move that has sparked intrigue and speculation, Rocket Lab's Electron rocket successfully launched a confidential commercial satellite on November 20th. This mission, dubbed "Follow My Speed," adds to Rocket Lab's impressive launch record for the year.
But here's where it gets controversial: the customer for this launch remains undisclosed. Rocket Lab has kept the identity of the satellite's owner under wraps, marking the third time in recent months that the company has maintained secrecy about its commercial clients.
In a similar move, a June launch carried an anonymous payload later linked to EchoStar. An August launch also involved five satellites for an undisclosed customer, with Rwanda listed as the owner in the Space-Track database. This has led to suspicions that E-Space, a company with previous spectrum filings through Rwanda, might be the true owner.
And this is the part most people miss: the launch itself was announced with minimal public notice. Rocket Lab sent out a press release just hours before liftoff, even though airspace notices had hinted at an upcoming launch.
This orbital mission followed a suborbital launch of Electron's HASTE variant from Wallops Island, Virginia, just two days prior. That launch carried a payload for the Missile Defense Agency, along with several secondary payloads from government and industry, all focused on testing missile defense technologies.
With these back-to-back launches, Rocket Lab has achieved an impressive 18 successful Electron missions this year, a record for the company. This stands in stark contrast to other Western small vehicle developers, who manage only a handful of launches annually, at most.
Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's CEO, praised the team's skill and flexibility, calling Electron "the champion of small launch globally."
So, what do you think? Is Rocket Lab's discretion about its customers a smart business move or a cause for concern? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
